Insectproof caster



April 8,1924; 1,489,672

I J. Y. ROBERTSON INSECT PROOF CASTER Filed April 18. 1922 fil Fatented Apr. 8, 1924.

JOHN Y. ROBERTSON, F EL PASO, TEXAS.

NSECTPROOF CASTER.

Application led April 18, 1922.

10 .all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JOHN Y. ROBERTSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at El Paso, in the county of El Paso and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in lnsectproof Casters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to casters, and particularly to casters which shall be proof against insects and other vermin gaining access to the body which the caster supports7 the primary object of the invention being to provide a caster for this general purpose which shall be of simple construction, which maintains its insecticide or vermin repellent in such manner that danger of spilling the same during movements of the body is entirely eliminated, which is so assembled as to enable the parts to be freely movable at all times, and which will prove thoroughly effective in use.

A further and particular object of the invention is to provide a caster of the character stated which is assembled in such manner that the parts thereof, while permitting free movement at all times, can not become disordered or deranged and which are properly maintained within the supporting ferrule.

lilith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a sectional view taken through a caster constructed in accordance with the invention, i

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure l,

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the caster, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective View of the caster barrel.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, 5 represents a ferrule or body to be .fitted to the leg of the furniture to be equipped with the vermin-proof caster, and this ferrule may be polygonal in cross section, circular or oval to correspond with the shape of the leg to which it is to be applied. This ferrule may be formed of any suitable material, and may be either enclosed in a channel or opening bored in the furniture leg or may be secured at its upper end to the lower end of such leg. ln the latter in- Serial No. 554,807.

stance, the leg will lit between the upstanding ears 6 at the upper end of ferrule 5, and a bolt or pin may be passed through the openings 7 in the said ears to firmly secure the parts together.

The ferrule 5 is provided with a centrally or axially disposed recess or cavity opening in from the lower end thereof and being substantially coextensive with the said ferrule. This recess snugly accommodates an outer barrel indicated at 8, and this outer barrel has nested therein an inner sleeve 9. The sleeve is of less length than the outer barrel, and engages at its upper end with a shoulder 10 formed in the inner circumference of the said outer barrel. The sleeve 9 at its lower end carries an annulus 1l disposed at right angles to the said sleeve, and formed integral with this annulus at the outer extremities of the latter is a cup 12. The cup l2 lies almost entirely below the plane of the annulus 1l and is formed by bending the metal of which the annulus is formed downwardly and in substantially circular shape in cross section and tipwardly so that the outer edge of the said metal terminates in a plane substantially even with the plane of the said annulus. The free edge of cup l2 is spaced from the outer edge of the annulus a distance sufficient to enable an insecticide in the form of a powder or liquid to be introduced to the cup and held thereby, and this gap causes any vermin upon the exterior of the cup to enter the latter in an attempt to obtain .fr footing or hold upon either the annulus or the ferrule 5. Thus it will be seen that a centering sleeve 9, annulus ll, which serves as a bearing plate, as hereinafter described, and an insecticide containing cup l2 are provided and formed integrally from a single piece of metal as a unitary article of manufacture. By this means simplicity and Y cheapness of construction are secured, the

number of independent parts reduced, the necessity of soldering or otherwise joining independent parts prevented, greater strength of construction ensured, and liability of disorder or breakage reduced, such as would be liable to occur in the use of separate parts soldered, brazed or otherwise joined together. Furthermore, such construction reduces time and labor in manufacture and thereby enables a superior type of caster to be produced at less cost.

The caster includes the wheel supporting bracket 13 carrying a Wheel 14 formed of any suitable material and mounted in any suitable manner, and a stein 15 projects upwardly from this bracket and tits snugly within the nested members S and 9. The stem protrudes at its upper end above the upper extremity of barrel 8 and is provided with a transverse opening to receive a cotter pin or other securing element indicated at 16; this pin confining a washer 17 between itself and the adjacent endof the barrel 8.

tdisk 18 is carried by the upper end of bracket 13 and rests upon the latter, and is provided on its upper surface and near its outer edge With an annular groove to receive the anti-friction balls 19, While the under surface of the annulus 11 directly overlying the groove of the disk is similarly grooved; the grooves of the disk. and annulus constituting between them a recess for the balls 19. It will be observed that the cup 12 as formed surrounds the head portion of the bracket 18 and the bearing members 18 and 19 and thus forms a guard or shield which protects the bearing parts from injury by contact with extraneous objects, and which also to a large extent protects said bearing parts from the access of dust, dirt and foreign particles liable to cause binding or breakage of the bearing bolts 19 or to interfere with the free and easy movements thereof.

By constructing the device in this manner it is apparent that the several parts of Which the caster is formed Will be securely held together and maintained against disorganization. After the barrel 8 and inner sleeve 9 are properly assembled the stem of the caster is inserted through the lower end of the sleeve 9, the balls 19 having previously been properly positioned upon the disk 18 and in the groove thereof. After the washer and cotter pins 11T-16 have been properly applied to the upper end of the stein, these partsof the device Will be firmly secured together, yet the caster bracket is at all times free for rotative movement. By extending the inner sleeve 9 upwardly in the manner indicated danger of the insecticide or vermin repellent gaining access to the interior of the caster is entirely obviated. The annular cup which contains this fluid or powder is so located that vermin in crawling up the caster must enter the cup in order to obtain a footing or hold upon that part of the caster construction which is directly connected with the leg of the furniture. Furthermore, it will be noted that the container or cup is so shaped and constructed as to offer little or no obstruction and not to detract from the appear-ance of the furniture to which the improved caster is applied.

In the present instance a caster and bracket of conventional type is shown, however, it Will be understood that the inventive characteristics may with facility be carried outl in connection with caster structures of various shapes, forms, sizes and types, and While the above is a description of the invention in its preferred embodiment, it Will be understood that various changes in the minor details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made Without departingfrom the spirit of vthe invention as defined by the claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, l claim A caster comprising a body having a cavity or recess therein, a Wheel supporting bracket including a disk having an annular ball retaining groove, an annulus disposed above said disk and provided with a ccoperating groove, a sleeve attached to the annulus extending into the cavity or recess, a stem projecting from the disk andinto the cavity or recess through said sleeve, bearing balls between the disk and sleeve and seated in said grooves, and a portion projecting out from the annulns and curved downwardly and outwardly and upwardly and inwardly and forming an annular cup enclosing the upper portion of the bracket and the disk, said cup having its marginal por tion tern'iinating adjacent to and outwardly beyond the outer edge of the base portion of the body.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature.

JOHN Y. RORERTSUN, 

